Post Graduate work Permit Applications

Applying for an spousal open work permit (SOWP) while studying full time and applying for a post graduate work permit (PGWP) upon successful completion of your studies.

Post Graduate Work Permit Applications

Note: Recordings can only be accessed by members of the Niagara University community (i.e current students and alumni). Students are required to use their NU email and Purple Pass credentials to access Immigration Insight recordings via the Zoom Single Sign-On (SSO) login portal.

Alumni will have access to their NU email accounts up to one year post graduation. For help accessing your NU email account, visit our New Students webpage or contact the IT Help Desk.

What is a Post Graduate Work Permit (PGWP)?

A PGWP is an open work permit. It is an immigration document that allows the holder to work for any employer, with a few notable exceptions (e.g. non-compliant employers and those who operate within the sex trade).

Graduates from specific post-secondary programs in Canada may qualify for a work permit of up to three years, provided they meet the necessary eligibility criteria.

Post Graduate Work Permit (PGWP) eligibility

Effective November 1, 2024, graduates from a university bachelor’s degree, master degree or doctoral program are eligible to apply for a PGWP and are exempt from field of study requirements.

These PGWP applicants must prove their English or French language skills with a minimum level of Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 7 in English or Niveaux de competence linguistique canadiens (NCLC) 7 in French in all 4 language areas – reading, writing, listening and speaking. Additional eligibility requirements may be found on the IRCC website.

Important: Eligible graduates must have maintained full time status (enrollment in 3 courses or 9 credit hours) as a student in Canada during each academic term to qualify for a PGWP.

When should I apply for the PGWP?

All eligible students should aim to apply for their PGWP within the first 90 days of their academic program’s completion. A students official program completion may be signified by any of the following – whichever comes first:

Release of final grades
Access to Official Transcript
Receipt of Program Completion Letter

To learn more about these documents, visit the Registrar’s Office website.

What will be the length of my PGWP?

Important: The length of your PGWP depends on the level and duration of your academic program, as well as the expiry date of your passport – whichever comes first.

Effective February 15, 2024, students who graduate from a masters degree program at least 8 months in length may be eligible for a 3 year PGWP. As such, all masters degree programs at Niagara University remain PGWP-eligible.

Note: The final determination of PGWP length is at the IRCC official’s discretion.

PGWP Application Timeline:

Students who apply for the PGWP within the first 90-days after their program completion AND while their study permit is still valid, may work full-time while their application is being processed.

Students who apply for the PGWP within 90 to 180 days after their program completion, must wait for their application to be approved prior to working at all (whether full time or part time) – regardless of their study permit’s validity.

Students applying for PGWP more than 180 days after their program completion are no longer eligible to apply for a PGWP.

Post Graduate work Permit Applications